


Number one Dadvid

by Latent



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2018-12-26 14:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12060978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latent/pseuds/Latent
Summary: Camp Campbell shuts down, right on time for the end of summer. All the kids go home with their parents... except for one. One child who just happens to have the worst luck, AND the worst parents.David isn't going to stand for that though. Someone has to do something.He's going to try to give this child the best life he possibly can, even if it kills him. Which honestly, it just might. Where Max goes, chaos follows.





	1. Somebody Has To

**Author's Note:**

> woop woop i tried, enjoy

Nothing lasts forever, not even the broiling summertime. As the season left, it took campers all across the nation with it. Some cried, some laughed, some were sad, some were happy… And then there were the campers of Camp Campbell. They weren't necessarily happy or sad. After the events of Parent Day occurred, camp still had about a week left before the kids were meant to be home. That week was… odd. David was a bit less enthusiastic and ignorant than usual. Gwen told the campers that what happened on Parent Day really hit him hard, and that he needed a bit of time to think. As the week progressed, more and more parts of the camp were slowly packed away by Gwen and David, both of which said nothing to each other as they did it. Most activity halted, as the campers let the fact that summer was actually over set in. They had all grown accustomed to the strange every day happenings of camp.

 

"I can't imagine… not waking up at camp to face some really weird situation."  
  
Max, Nikki and Neil sat together by the lake, staring out into the water.

 

"I mean, we're all going home today. And the camp is closing, so we aren't even going to be back next summer. We aren't going to wake up tomorrow in a tent. We aren't going to wake up and see any weird supernatural creatures or burn down a building or get kidnapped by the wood scouts or ANY of that."  
  
Neil turned around to face the other two.

 

"Isn't that… weird? I just… I can't even begin to fathom the idea of things just being… normal again…"

 

After receiving only empty stares as a response, Neil fell silent again and studied the ground, unwilling to continue discussing the current events. No one uttered another word for what felt like hours, until Max finally pushed himself off the ground and stood up by the lake's edge.

 

"Welp, I guess we'll finally be getting out of this shithole then."

 

Neil and Nikki exchanged glances of curiosity as Nikki spoke up.

 

"Wait, you really aren't going to miss camp, even a little bit?"

 

"Or us?" added Neil as he and Nikki stood up beside Max.

 

"Nope. None of it. I've been trying so hard ALL SUMMER to get out of here! And now it's FINALLY over. There isn't anything about this trashy, bullshit cash-grab camp that I'll miss!"

 

His glare suddenly softens slightly. "But I guess… Not hanging out with you guys is going to… suck less than hanging out with you."  
  
"Hey, a compliment!" Shouted Nikki. "I mean, I THINK it was a compliment anyways…"  
  
"What are you little shits doing way over here? Parents are starting to show up."

 

The trio turned to find the source of the voice, already knowing who it was.

 

"Oh, hey Gwen!" Nikki waved happily, then reached down to grab her bags. "Come on guys, let's go wait by the entrance!"  
  
Max disappointedly watched as Nikki and Neil ran for the front of the camp. Gwen noticed his expression, and knelt down to his level so that she could look him in the eyes.

 

"Max, what's wrong?"

  
He stared back silently, unresponsive. Gwen's eyes widened as she finally understood.

 

"Oh, right… Hey, it'll be okay… We'll be here for you, got it?"

 

Max couldn't help but grin faintly at this. Gwen nodded and stood back up, satisfied that she was able to be even a small source of comfort.

 

"Now come on you little asshole, let's go wait."

 

She and Max walked to the camp's front gate, where Nerris' parents and Preston's grandmother were the two campers were loading their things into their respective cars, the two of them being the first to leave. Once packed they started saying their goodbyes to the others, a few exchanging phone numbers to keep in contact.

 

Thirty minutes after their departure, Harrison's parents reluctantly arrived. They had nervous smiles plastered to their faces, but Max could overhear them frantically whispering to David and Gwen about "fixing their son."

 

Soon after them came a rusty prison bus carrying Nurf's mother, followed by a dark limousine with blackened out windows. Nurf and Ered were unsurprisingly the ones collected.

 

At exactly 2:00 PM, five children remained. Dolph, Space Kid, Nikki, Neil, and Max. Only four excitedly waited for their rides. The fifth, Max, sat off to the side, resting on top of his bag with a distant look in his eyes.

 

First Space Kid, then Dolph. 2:30 PM.

 

Finally, a moment Max had secretly been dreading (but would never admit) arrived. A single car pulled up, driven by Nikki's mother. However, she wasn't the only one inside. Neil's father in the passenger's seat, waving as they arrived.

 

"Wait, what the hell?" commented Neil, stopping in his tracks. "Dad, why are you with Nikki's mom?"  
  
The two adults laughed, along with Gwen and Nikki and a little snicker from Max. Neil's dad just shook his head and packed the kids' bags into the back.   
  
"No seriously why are you with Nikki's mom???"  
  
No one explained, because the answer was blatantly obvious. After packing up, Nikki and Neil ran to max to say goodbye.

 

"Look like we're finally splitting, huh…?"

 

"Yeah, I guess."  
  
"What's your phone number? If you have one?" Nikki asked while pulling out her beaten up, scratch covered cell phone.

 

"Never had a phone," Max told her flatly, attempting to keep his emotionless composure. She nodded in understanding, and after another minute of final goodbyes, the two of them piled into the car and took off down the road.

 

Gwen glanced around with a satisfied grin, until she spotted Max. He was sitting on his bag, leaning against one of the trees. He stared at nothing in complete silence, expression void of any emotion. She walked over and sat down next to him, then started to talk in an attempt to comfort him.

 

"So… you excited for the school year, Max? You're ten right, that's fourth grade, right?"  
  
"No, why would I be excited for nine more months of hell? I haven't gone to school in a year, and I don't plan on going back. Also I'd be in fifth grade because I turn eleven before the cutoff day. But that doesn't matter, because I'm not going."  
  
Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you missed school last year? Why? And why aren't you going back?"

 

"I went to kindergarten, first, second and third grade of public school and each year was a living fucking nightmare! First of all, the kids were terrible! Do you know what it's like to get the shit beaten out of you every day? Public school kids are fucking ruthless, Gwen! They took the lunch money I got from illegally working at the fucking junkyard! Th-"  
  
"Wait, hold on," interrupted Gwen, confused and concerned. "You worked at a junkyard? Illegally???"  
  
"You think my parents were going to pay for my fucking lunch? Of course not! And nobody wants to work at a stupid old junkyard! They paid me to go out and look for valuable shit and keep trespassers out because it's cheaper to illegally pay some little kid desperate for work so... Whatever, doesn't matter! Those grimy little asshole kids ALWAYS took whatever I brought to school while my parents looted most of what I had at home. And that's just the start of it, everyone always assumes shoving kid into lockers is just something that happens in the movies, when it's really fucking real! I would know! I spent probably like… two months total in a fucking locker during the time I spent at school! So no I don't want to go back to my school, and it's not like my parents give a shit anyways! Nor do the underpaid teachers and corrupt law enforcement of my shitty town!"  
  
Gwen was silent, physically unable to respond. She knew things were bad back at Max's house, but didn't even think of school. When she was a little girl, school was usually a place kids could count on to use an escape from a bad home life. What's the point in a place to escape to every day if it's even worse than the place you're trying to escape from?

 

"God… Max… I'm so sorry, I didn't realize…"  
  
Max rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, looking off in the other direction. "Whatever… It's fine, I don't care."

 

"No, it isn't fine…" She put a hand on his shoulder. "Seriously, I'm sorry. You don't deserve all this, you're just a kid… Look I may not know the full story, I may be completely unaware of how things work wherever you live, but don’t let anyone make you feel like you deserve any of this…"  
 

Gwen noticed as Max's eyes widened a bit at specifically the last thing she said.

 

"You know that right? None of this is your fault?"  
  
He was unresponsive, lost in a whirlwind of thought. Max forced himself to block it out, and stop thinking about it all together. Instead of answering her question, he changed the subject entirely.

  
"Where's David?"  
  
Gwen squinted, still mildly concerned. "He's back in our cabin. David had to lock himself in his room and shut the lights off in order to stop himself from trying to keep the kids at camp. He's still pretty upset about the whole, 'camp ending permanently' thing… Want me to get him?"  
  
"...Yeah, sure, whatever, I don't care."  
  
Gwen nodded, his fake uncaring attitude unable to convince her. She made her way back to the counselor's tent, and in less than a minute, David had sprinted to Max's side. He tripped over a branch on the way, but didn't seem to notice as he fell at Max's side.

  
"Max! You're still here!"

 

He frowned at him and shook his head slowly. "Smooth. Yeah, I'm still here. Literally no surprises, I'll probably fucking be here until snowfall!"  
  
David sat up and brushed the dirt and leaves off. He looked at Max with a hint of sadness.

 

"Hey, it'll be fine. I'm sure your parents will be here any moment!"

 

Thirty minutes later, 3:00 PM. No sign of anyone, one hour after designated pickup time.

 

3:30 PM. David started counting the individual leaves on the trees that he and Max sat under.

 

4:00 PM. Gwen called the number they were given by Max's parents "in case of emergency". The number connected her to a Chinese takeout restaurant four states away.

 

5:00 PM. The Quartermaster left with his belongings for a hotel, mentioning something about house hunting.

 

6:00 PM. David and Gwen ordered pizza for the three of them.

 

8:30 PM. Gwen reluctantly left, explaining she has job interviews to get to tomorrow morning.

 

9:00 PM. Max fell asleep.

 

Finally, at 11:00 PM, David decided enough was enough. He carried Max to the counselor's office and left him to sleep in his own bed. He sat outside the cabin door, waiting patiently.

 

At sunrise, Gwen returned with breakfast she picked up from a bagel place on the way. David wished her luck on her job interviews, and thanked her for the bagels.

 

"Did Max's parents ever show?" she asked, biting into her own bagel.

 

"…Not yet."

 

David looked exhausted, as he was up all night, just in case anyone made an appearance. Gwen noticed this and frowned slightly, growing concerned.

 

"Do you think they…?"  
  
"No. They have to be coming. They just… they have to be coming Gwen, okay? I know they didn't show up for parent day a week ago, but maybe they were busy. I know they didn't show up yesterday, but maybe they're just… busy again? Stuck in traffic?"  
  
"I don't think-"  
  
David stood up and smiled. "After all, I won't let anymore disappointment come Max's way. His parents WILL come."  
  
Gwen smiled weakly. "There you go with that confident positivity again… But, just so you know, if they DON'T show up…"  
  
"They will."

 

"Okay, okay, but on the off chance they DON'T, you know you have to do something right?"

 

David stared down at the ground, smile wavering. He had maybe thought about it once or twice the other day, but it was more of a fantasy rather than genuine consideration.

 

"I know, Gwen. And I know exactly what I'll do!"  
  
She grinned and saluted to him.  
  
"Good luck, you crazy weirdo."  
  
After she took off, David sat back down on the doorstep and studied the road that leads to the camp entrance. He expected a car to show up any minute now, and concerned, apologetic parents to rush out exclaiming how much they missed their child.

 

By lunch time, the car never showed, nor had Max woken up. David could feel some kind of emotional mix building up, half of which he was ashamed of. Half of him was beyond pissed at Max's parents for not showing up, parents are supposed to be your best friend, not someone that forgets about you. The other half of him though was excited, almost hopeful that they wouldn't show up. David felt guilty over how much he wanted them to never show up. He was mad with himself over how selfish he assumed he was being. He was wishing for this kid's parents to abandon their own child.

 

Because he wanted to be a better one. He cared about Max, David spent his entire summer trying to make him happy, trying to make him feel included, cared about, and worth something. He wanted to show him what a good parent was supposed to do, he wanted to give Max a future to look forward to. David wanted to be a better parent to this child, because somebody fucking has to.


	2. Home

Around 1:00 PM, Max finally woke up.

 

"Ugh… what the fuck?"

 

He quickly glanced around in a panic, recognizing his surroundings as being that of camp's. Max noticed the time on the clock and screamed, fully assuming in his groggy state that he was left alone at camp and was going to be stuck there forever. Moments later; however, David threw open the door, with a worried, sleep-deprived expression.

 

"Max? What's going on? Is everything ok? Are you being attacked by a bear???"

 

"What the fuck??? David??? What the fuck is going on?!"  
  
David beamed at him. "Why, you're in the counselor's cabin, Max! You fell asleep last night, and since all the tents are already put up, I brought you here! We're still… waiting for your parents."  
  
Max rolled his eyes and sat up, crossing his arms.

  
"If they aren't here yet then they aren't coming at all. That's just how they are. They aren't coming."

 

They both sat in silence for a moment, neither knowing exactly what to say next.

 

"Well… as you know, camp is being shut down… Later on tonight they're supposed to be taking down these cabins… So I was thinking, maybe, if you really don't think they'll show up…"  
  
Max raised an eyebrow and squinted suspiciously.

 

"You've got that 'I'm about to drop a bombshell' look in your eyes."  
  
"Well I.…I was thinking, maybe, if you just so happened to need a place to stay…"  
  
"Oh. Oh fuck." Max rolled himself right off the side of the bed and landed hard on the floor. "You are not about to fucking tell me what I think you're about to fucking tell me."  
  
David smiled guiltily and finished, "If you just so happened to need a place to stay, I have extra room at my house."  
  
Max let out a scream, but it wasn't one of anger or fear. David noticed he sounded like a mix between happy, frustrated, and genuinely confused.  
  
"Is something wrong Max?? I mean you don't have to if you don't want to, just, in case you DO need somewhere to stay…?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
David paused and tilted his head slightly, unsure of what he meant.

 

"Why what?"  
  
Max sat up on the floor and stared him in the eyes, and David could have sworn Max was about to burst into tears.

 

"David, for three fucking months I did nothing but bully you."  
  
"Well yes but-"  
  
"No. I beat you up, yelled at you, and made fun of all your stupid bullshit. I spent the entire time I've been here trying to leave, making yours and Gwen's summers a hell on Earth. I purposefully set things up just to cause havoc. I started rebellions, lit things on fire, and destroyed things I didn't like. I literally went out of my way to do the exact opposite of everything you told me to do. I was the biggest little shit on the ENTIRE planet… and you're… offering to let me stay at your house?"

 

David didn't hesitate to answer. He already knew everything Max just told him, and he didn't care.

 

"Of course I am!"  
  
Max stared at him, wide-eyed, stunned into another silence. He then leapt forward and hugged David, trying not to cry. David wrapped his arms around him and pat his back supportively.

 

"Max… I care about you, more than I can put into words. You were the first kid to show up at camp this summer, yet I still feel like I've only just gotten to know you. You deserve the world, and parents who can give it to you. I'm sorry your parents can't see how lucky they are. I'm sorry the world has been nothing but cruel to you."  
  
Max leans back with wet eyes as David continues to speak.

 

"Three months ago, I thought you were just a grumpy kid. I thought you were just the average kid, upset about being sent to a summer camp for the sole reason that you'd rather sit around in an air conditioned house and sleep all day. I fully believed that a little bit of cheery atmosphere and fun games would change your mind and cheer you up immediately. I honestly figured that I could easily boost your mood and make you enjoy camp. Three months ago you were an entirely different person to me, and only a week ago on parent's night did I fully realize the extent of how wrong I was."

 

He put a hand on Max's shoulder, and smiled warmly again.

 

"And that's why I want you to come stay with me. I want to help you, I want to give you the childhood you deserve. I don't want your own home to be something you're afraid of. Max, you're ten years old, yet you've had to mature faster than most adults I know. That… that isn't okay. That isn't okay at all and I can't just sit around letting you go back to a place like that. I care about you, and all I want is for you to be happy."

 

Max continued to stare at him, unable to respond. He felt sick. He wanted to respond with something snarky as usual. He wanted to call David an idiot. His instincts screamed at him to do something mean, but another, unrecognizable part of him wanted to just embrace David and say yes. Violence was all Max ever knew before now. He didn't know any better.

 

Rather than attempting to say anything, he leaned forward and hugged David again. It was only a quick hug, and right after stood back up and brushed off his hoodie.

 

"Yeah, sure, whatever I guess…"

 

Max tried to sound as if what he just said to him didn't momentarily send his mind into a swirling mess of emotional chaos. David wasn't fooled, but grinned and nodded anyways.

 

"Great!"

 

He grabbed Max's things and leapt outside, still beaming.

  
"Come on, Max! The camp fun doesn't have to end!"

 

Max followed behind him with his hands in his pockets and a frown on his face.

  
"Don't make me already regret this, David."

 

David threw Max's bag into his trunk and opened the backseat door for him.  
  
"Sorry Max I'm just… So excited! Come on, aren't you at least a LITTLE excited?"

 

Max shrugged and climbed in. "I don't really get excited."

 

David frowned as he climbed into the driver's seat. He looked at Max through the rearview mirror and said, "Well that's goal number one then."

 

"Goal number one?" Max asked, forming a suspicious expression.  
  
"Goal number one. Max, I want to help you, and I'm going to do it any way I can, even if we have to start out with small things like feeling excitement and actually smiling."  
  
"I smile sometimes," Max argued while crossing his arms defensively.

 

David rolled his eyes and explained, "I meant out of HAPPINESS, Max.  You smiling when I or the other kids gets hurt doesn't count."

 

"Fair enough."

 

"Anyways, as I was saying… Even if I have to start out with something small, I'm going to do all I can to help you, but I won't force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with doing."

 

"What if I'm uncomfortable with being helped?" Max smirked, purposefully being difficult.  
  
"Max take this seriously! I'm going to try to help you no matter what, but any ideas I get to do so will go through you first."

 

David started the car and accelerated down the road. He grinned with content and rolled down the window so that he could take in a deep breath.

 

"Take it all in one more time, Max. This is the last time we'll see this place."

 

"Fucking finally."  
  
"MAX!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tada
> 
> (For those of you reading this, the next chapter will be out sometime between 10/10/17 and 10/17/17!


	3. Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome home, Max

"It's gotta be like… ten o'clock at night or something… " Max muttered, bored, head leaning against the window. David rolled his eyes and gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

  
"Actually Max, it's only 4:30, we haven't even been driving for four hours yet. Almost, but noooot quite."  
  
Max groaned and flung his head back against the seat. "Well it feels like it's taking way longer!"

 

"Are you anxious to get there?" David asked, filled with excitement.  
  
"Oh fuck off…"

 

Max slumped back down in his seat and huffed. The first two hours of the trip had been nothing but listening to boring documentaries and watching only trees and mountains on the outside. The past hour they had finally seen a few signs of civilization, such as an oddly placed gas station and a tiny hamlet of about 30 people at most.

 

Max had a clear idea in mind of exactly what David's house would be. He expected some tiny, dull cabin in the middle of the woods with no wifi, nothing else nearby, and a barely functioning bathroom. He'd probably have to sleep on the couch or something, and wouldn't have his own room.

 

'Whatever,' he thought to himself. Anything was better than where he came from.

 

Max; however, started to grow suspicious as the amount of trees around them decreased, and more and more neighborhoods popped up.

 

"Do you not like… live in some grubby forest hut?"  
  
David sighed and hung his head slightly.

 

"Sadly no… I tried to tell my parents that I WANTED to though, but they insisted on this place. "

 

Max snorted and asked, "You still live with your parents???"  
  
"Oh heavens no," he replied, perking up again. "I live on my own. They bought me the house. They always did uh… go a little above and beyond with their generosity buuuut I guess I can't really complain, huh?"

 

Max couldn't believe what he was hearing. A house. An ENTIRE house. David's parents bought an entire fucking house for him.

 

"Wow. Some incredible fucking parents."

 

David stopped and glanced at Max in the rearview mirror.

 

"Oh Max… I'm so sorry about your parents… But look, I'm going to try my gosh darn best to be as good to you as they are to me. I want to show and teach you good parenting, because you deserve it. While I do though, I want you to show and teach me about what you've experienced. If you don't want to, that's fine! I'll be honest with you Max, before Camp Campbell, I was ignorant to how other kids' lives were. Don't get me wrong, I knew kids had it worse, believe me. It's just that… I never really experienced it. I was raised sheltered, homeschooled, as an only child. I had more love than I knew what to do with. I've been harbored from the real world my entire life… and I owe it to you for giving me a reality check. You may not think you did anything… But, remember, you were the first kid to show up to camp at the beginning of June, so of course you were the first I tried to connect with… You weren't what I was expecting though. You weren't even the slightest bit happy to be there. In fact, you weren't the slightest bit happy about ANYTHING. I didn't understand why then, but now I do. Every single day you broke my ignorant ideas of what the world was. Every time you called me a moron, I spent the evening educating myself about whatever. Every mistake you criticized me for led to me realizing more and more, and I can't thank you enough for that."

 

Max turned slowly and stared out the window, not knowing how to respond at first. After a full minute of silence he whispered, ".…I had no idea… You really did that? After I yelled at you? You weren't even mad???"

 

David smiled softly and shrugged.

 

"I couldn't be mad at you for being mad over something I did, right? I figured that if you were so upset with me over a particular situation, then surely there was something I had done wrong."

 

"But I only ever yell and swear at you! You never thought that I was just mad at everything, and that changing for me was a waste of time?"

 

David slowed the car and parked on the side of the road. He turned to Max and ruffled his hair.

 

"Max, NOTHING that has anything to do with you is a waste of time."

 

The two of them leaned over in their seats and hugged. David was sure Max had started to tear up, but Max would never admit it.

 

~~~

 

Thirty minutes later, at 5:00 PM, David pulled up outside a what looked like the epitome of an upper middle class estate. Two and a half stories tall, a four-car garage, a gate out front.

 

Max would sooner expect David to live in a cardboard box than a place like this.

 

David parked the car into the garage, which Max noticed was full of camping supplies. No surprises there. David got out and rounded the car to open Max's door for him.  
  
"Welcome home! We can throw a welcome home party later or something. For now, we need to get you some dinner. My refrigerator is empty at the moment because of camp, so I'll just order us a pizza. Also I know the house probably isn't what you're expecting, and might not be anything you're used to, but I hope you can eventually call it home."

 

Max slid out of the car and looked around, the garage alone he estimated to be larger than his old house. He followed David inside, and noted how… CLEAN the place was.

 

"Wow. Not gonna lie David, I was fully expecting a little apartment full of mud, birds, and plants."

 

David grinned and gestured for Max to go further into the house, away from the mudroom.

  
"The house IS full of plants! Well, not FILLED, but there's quite a few around I'd say. I had a caretaker cleaning and keeping the plants healthy while I was out."  
  
Max rolled his eyes and muttered, "A cleaning lady too? This must be the height of luxury."

 

"No one likes sarcasm, Max!"

 

David dragged Max's bag in, and started walking towards the back of the house.

  
"Come on, your room is upstairs."

 

Max followed, a confused expression on his face. "My… room? Like, my OWN room?"  
 

"Well, duh! You can have the attic. It's furnished to be a guest room, but we can go out and get whatever you'd like to personalize it. My room is right below it, on the second floor, so if you ever need anything in the middle of the night, just yell and I should be able to hear it. Oh and if you don’t like the room, you can have any of the other ones, as there's two more. I just figured you'd like the attic room, because it's the largest other than mine, and has the most privacy. The walls are also painted a dark color, and I know how moody you are."

 

He ruffles Max's hair again, and Max swats his hands away. David laughs, "I'm only joking. Mostly. Alright let's head up."

 

David leads Max up the stairs, humming some annoying song as he does. Max looked up and noticed the large chandelier hanging above the foyer.

 

"Wow.  You're so fucking extra, David."

 

"I didn't put it there, it came with the house! Besides that isn't even the most showy thing in the house, there's a pool out back that probably cost more than some of the other houses on this street. My parents try way too hard to give me nice things that I don't particularly want… I mean, an above ground pool that you just fill with water would have been good enough, But they insisted. Alright, this is the second floor."

 

Max tried counting the doors, and there were at least 10 or more.

  
"Holy fucking shit."

 

David gently bopped Max on the side with his bag.

 

"Language Max!!! You can explore all these rooms later if you want, but we're going to get you upstairs to your own room first. Come on, it's right up here."

 

Max follows David down the hallway to one of the doors, which opens up to a smaller staircase. The two of them walk up together, and find themselves in loft area, that Max estimated to be about 5 feet in width, with two chairs, a table, and a potted tree all set up next to the window. There were two doors on either side of the loft. David opened one of them, revealing a small bathroom that included a shower/bathtub combo.

 

"This is your bathroom, by the way."

 

Max looked inside, and scrunched his face again.   
  
"An entire fucking bathroom, seriously?"  
  
David tilted his head and asked, "Is something wrong, Max?"  
  
"Yeah! Super wrong! I'm just… I don't deserve all this! You've giving me more than I could ever fucking DREAM of back at the shithole I come from! I just don't understand why you're being so nice and generous to me, I'm not worth all this!"

 

David sighed and kneeled down so that he was on Max's level.

 

"Max, I told you earlier why. I want you to remember it, and keep it in mind whenever you doubt  yourself."

 

He wrapped his arms around Max again, delighted with the amount of times he's been able to hug him so many times today.

 

"You're worth the world and more, Max."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to post this more and ACTUALLY stick to some kind of frequent schedule y'all


	4. Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max has too many walls

David opened the other door across from the one leading to the bathroom door, and walked inside.

 

"Welcome to your new room, Max!"

 

Max stepped in after him and looked around, completely blown away.

 

"Wow… Wait, there's a fucking computer in here?!"

 

David nodded, and put a hand on his shoulder.

  
"Well sure. It was designed as a guest room for very important guests, and well… I can't think of any guest more important than you! I don't really know anything about computers myself but… I'm sure you can figure it out, right? Unless you already know how to work it… Either way you're a very smart kid and I have no doubts!"  
 

David put Max's bag on the floor as Max slowly walked over to the bed and sat down on it, taking everything in with a grain of salt as he was still unable to believe that all of this was actually this good. David continued talking.

 

"Like I said earlier, we can totally go out shopping soon and redecorate this room however you'd like. I know the room's default probably isn't your style, huh? Plus furniture shopping will be so fun! Alright now, what's your favorite pizza? I'll go order one while you settle and take everything in."  
  
Max barely managed to answer, "Uh… cheese I guess…" before falling over backwards on the bed. David laughed quietly and rolled his eyes, then made his way downstairs to order pizza.

 

Max rolled over and stared at the alarm clock situated on the nightstand next to him.

 

"You gotta be fuckin kidding me. Even this stupid clock is nicer than anything in my old house. Un-fucking-believable."

 

He sat up and looked around the room again, still bewildered. Max hopped off of the bed, and began to unpack his stuff. He sifted through the few items in his bag: two other versions of his same hoodie with a few other shorts and shirts, toothbrush and toothpaste, 5 dollars made up of mostly coins, his journal along with some pens and his stuffed bear, Mr. Honeynuts.

 

Max hung his hoodies in the closet, noting how empty it was other than them. He walked across the loft and into the bathroom to put his toothbrush and toothpaste on the sink counter. He then hid the money in his sock drawer, along with the three pairs of socks he brought to camp. Max placed Mr. Honeynuts on the bed, leaning up against the pillows. He stood back and crossed his arms, satisfied with this.

 

Suddenly a shout came from downstairs, "Max! The pizza's here!"

 

Max rolled his eyes and made his way downstairs, surprised that he didn't get lost. He walked into the kitchen, where David was setting out the pizza. Max sat down at the table and rested his head on his hands.

 

"Hey bud, what are you thinking about?"

 

Max moved his arms and put his face straight on the table.

  
"A whole lot of shit, David."

 

David sat down next to him, and pulled the pizza box closer. He didn't remind Max to watch his language.

 

"It's good to think about things, you know. Sometimes it can be kind of scary and overwhelming, but forcing yourself NOT to think about things won't solve the problems either. You just have to… choose your battles."

 

"What if I want to choose ALL of them?"  
  
David rolled his eyes. "Max, that's what makes it overwhelming! Some people have bigger armies and can fight a bunch of battles at once. Some people have to fight alone, and can only handle one. Both of those are fine."  
  
Max lifted up his head and frowned. "Are you going to actually explain your figurative bullshit or am I going to have to sit here and Sherlock Holmes everything you say?"

 

"What I mean is, some people out there have massive support groups that are there to help them with the situations they're struggling with. Because of the support they have, they're capable of taking on not only more battles, but also bigger ones. Meanwhile, some people don't have a big support group, and have to deal with things on their own. One battle that might be easy for someone else with a larger support group might be impossible for someone without one to fight. That's why we also can't judge when sometimes people struggle with different things, and why we can't determine how bad a certain situation is for another. Understand it now?"  
  
"Um, yeah, I guess?"  
  
David beams and hugs Max, who quickly shoves him away.  
  
"That's great Max!!! So it's okay to be thinking about things, especially as someone in your current situation. Just don't overwhelm yourself."

 

Max rolled his eyes and slowly started eating a slice of pizza.

 

"Yeah, okay, whatever…"

 

He had only taken two or three bites before giving up on it and laying his head back down on the table. David, already on his second slice, looked at him with a concerned expression. He leaned forward towards Max in his chair.

 

"Are you okay? Tired maybe? Do you need me to take you to a HOSPITAL, MAX?!"

 

Max scowled at him and yelled, "Calm the fuck down, David, I'm not dying!"

 

David nodded and moved back in his seat.

 

"Right, right sorry. I'm just… worried is all, you know! But are you sure you're done? Are you hungry? Do you want something ELSE?"

 

"I'm sure I'm done, dammit! Can I go back upstairs now?"

 

David stared at Max for a moment, studying his expression. 'Why can't I figure you out, Max?' he thought to himself, aggravated. How could he be the best dad humanly possible if he couldn't figure out how Max was feeling and what he was thinking? David knew Max wouldn't be direct with what he wanted, at least not for a little while, so he had to use his own intuition to decide what Max needed.

 

"I'm worried about you, Max, you know… Just, please tell me when you're upset, okay? I care about you a lot."

 

"Yeah, David, you've said that like at least thirty times now, I know," Max responded with an annoyed frown. "Can I go NOW?"

 

David stared at him again, still frustrated about being unable to detect how he felt. "Of course, Max."

 

He'd get through to him, one way or another.


End file.
